Separator mechanism for ring-spinning frames



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet -1.

0. WHITAKER. SBPARATOR MECHANISM FOR RING SPINNING FRAMES.

NO. 498,342. Patented May 30, 1893.

WITNESSES.

C) INVENTOR a E I Tu: nonms Prrzns co, mu'rau'rwu. wpmucmn. o c

3 Sheets-8heet 2. ER. NG SPINNING FRAMES.

BOHANIS (No Model.)

SEPARATOR M Patented May 30, 1893.

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' c. WHITAKER. SIBPARATOR MECHANISM FOR RING SPINNING PRAMB8.

No.'498,342. Patented May 30,1893;

FIG.

'INVENTOR.

w: Nonms PEYERS 00.. Moro-Ursa. WASHINGTON, n. c.

, NrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHANNING WHITAKER, OF TYNGSBOROUGH, ASSIGNOR TO THE LOWELL MACHINE SHOP, OF LOVYELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEPARATOR MECHANISM FOR RING-SPINNING FRAMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,342, dated May 30, 1893.

Application filed February 10, 1893. Serial No. 461,743. (No model.)

purpose of restricting the ballooning of the yarns being spun, and for preventing the said yarns from striking against one another in consequence of such ballooning.

The main object of theinvention is to provide an improved arrangement and combination of supporting and operating devices of the simplest and most practical character, whereby not only shall the separators be moved vertically simultaneously with the ring-rail, and always in the same direction as the latter, but they shall be movedthrough a traverse of less extent than the ring-rail, so as to remain in proper'position relatively to the various parts, the use of adjustable stops to determine the limitof the descent of the separators and of adjustable feet on the separator-rods to determine'the highest point of the traverse of the separators thereby being rendered unnecessary; and wherein shall be embodied improved means for enabling the traverse of the separators quickly and conveniently to be shifted higher or lower as desired with relation to'the thread-board, spindles and ring-rail, without any resulting variation in the extent of such traverse. The omission of the adjustable stops and adjustable feet secures a simplified and more reliable mechanism. Oapacity for effecting a vertical shift or translation of the traverse of the separators is highly desirable in a separator-mechanism in order that the requirements of the differentconditions under which oneand the same spinning frame is used may be met properly, and also in 011 6? to enable the separator-mechanism to be'fitted to the different sizes of' ring-spinning frames that are in use without it being necessary to keep on hand a stock of parts of various sizes or lengths. Prior separator-mechanisms of the same structural type as that to which the invention relates, as heretofore proposed to be built, usually have been devoid of capacity for the said vertical shift or translation. Where no provision for adjustment exists in the separator-operating devices, it becomes necessary for the maker thereof to provide diiferent lengths of separator-rods, or a like supply of different sizes or lengths of some other part or parts, in order to enable the traverse of the separators in a given spinning-frame to be varied byan interchange of parts, and also in order to enable the separator-mechanism to be fitted to the different sizes of spinning-frames that are beingbuilt.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical construction of devices whereby to impart positive movement to the separators downward as well as upward, that is in both directions, while retaining capacity for adjustment of the character hereinbefore indicated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means of supporting the separator-rail and holding it with theseparators in an operative position, which means shall enable the journals or pivots of the separator-rail to beturned in bearings provided therefor so as that the separators either may be thrown forward into their lowered or'working position or may be raised from between the spindles into their idle or inoperative position, and which shall enable the said rail and the separators connected therewith to be removed from the supports and the machine at any time and before the separators have been turned into their raised or idle position, as heretofore sometimes has been necessary, for the purpose of unlocking'the rail.

The invention consists in certain features of improved construction and combination designed to secure the objects aforesaid, and first will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which are represented the best embodiments thereof which so far have been devised, and then will be particularly pointed out and distinctly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation showing a portion of a ring-spinning frame and one embodiment of the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of certain of the parts which are represented in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view in plan of the parts which are represented in Fig. 3, but with certain portions thereof in section in order to show more clearly the construction. Fig. 5 is a View in enlargedplan of certain parts at the right in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section on the line 66 in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 isa view in vertical section on the line 77 in Fig.

3 but showing a modification.

which is represented in Fig. 8.

Figs. 8 and 9.

roller-beam in section, showing the means for supporting the separator-rail and for stopping it in each of the positions of the separators. Fig. 12 is a view in plan of the parts which are shown in Fig. 11.

construction of the separator-rod, the said views showing various modifications. Fig. 23 is a view of the stand for the separator-rod in front elevation. Fig. 24 is a view thereof in side elevation. Fig. 25'is a view thereof in plan.

In Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is the roller-beam, 2 the thread-boardhinged thereto as usual, 3 the finger-boards hinged as usual to the threadboard, t the yarn-guides secured to the finger-boards, 5 the yarns passing from the yarnguides 4 to the bobbins 6, through the travelers 7 on the rings 8 supported by the ringrail 9, 10 the spindles ,on which the bobbins are mounted, 11 the spindle-rail, 12 the lower 1 or guide-rail, 13 the lifting-rod for the ringrail, 14 the shoe or foot at the lower end of; the said rod, 16 the cross-shaft arm carrying the stud or pin 15,the latter either acting di- 1 rectly upon the said shoe or foot or being provided with the roller 151 which acts against the said shoe or foot and fits upon the stud orpin 15, it being held in place thereon by. the thin-headed screw 152, the threaded part of which enters a threaded hole in the end of 1 At 17 is shown the crossthe stud or pin. slot in the free end of the said cross-shaft arm 16 in which the said stud or pin is adjustably mounted, and at 18 the cross-shaft on which the said arm is secured, the said cross-shaft turning in hearings in brackets 19 (only one of which brackets is shown) and being caused to rock by usual means for the purpose of moving the ring-rail up and down, the cross- Figs. 13 to 22, inclusive, are views illustrating in detail the.

shaft being in practice usually provided with an arm 181 on which is mounted adj ustably a weight 182 for counterbalancing the parts which are operated by the arm 16.

At 20, in Figs. 1 and 2, the separators'are shown.

All of the foregoing parts may be of any usual or preferred construction.

At 21 is shown the separator-rail on which the separators are mounted, and at 22 one of the rods by which the said rail is supported, the said rail and rod by preference being tubular to secure lightness, and the separator-rod being held in upright position by guides 233 in a stand or bracket 23 which is secured to the rails 11 and 12 by screws 24, 24, passing through vertical slots 232 in the portions 231, 231, of the stand,the' said portions being ofiset so that the separator-rod will not be in the way of the screw-driver when the screws are being turned. Provision for actuating the rod 22 from the cross-shaft arm 16 simultaneously with the actuation of the ring-rail from the said arm, and in the same direction but through a traverse of less extent, is made as follows, reference being had to Figs. 3, 4and 7 in particular. On the lower end of the rod 22 is affixed a foot or shoe 25 which is acted upon by eithera stud or pin 26 carried by the arm 16, or a roller 27 which is mounted upon the said stud or pin and held in place thereon by means of a pin 28. The stud or pin 26 is mounted upon the arm 16 at a point between the cross-shaft 18 and the stud or pin 15, so that less movement shall be communicated to the separator-rod than to the liftingrod, and at a distance from the axis of the cross-shaft which will secure the desired ratio between the extent of the up-and-down {HOW-511161111 of the separators and that of the corresponding movement ofthe ring rail'.

In the drawings, as shown, the movement of the separator-rod and separators is intended to be a little more-than one-half as great as that of the lifting-rod and ring-rail. For the purpose of independently shifting vertically the traverse of the separators without varying such traverse in extent, provision is made for shifting the stud or pin 26 upon the arm 16 in a direction which is cross-wise of the arm 16 and preferably in a curve which is concentric with the axis of the cross-shaft. Thus, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4:, 7 and 8, the arm 16 is formed with a transverse curved or arc-shaped slot 29 which preferably is concentric with the axis of the cross-shaft 18, and in which slot the stud or pin 26 is fitted, the threaded end of such stud or pin receiving thereon, on the side of the arm opposite to that on which the roller 27 is located, a nut 30 and washer 31 whereby the stud or pin is secured at the desired position of adjustment transversely of the arm in the said slot. For

the purpose of effecting a similar shift of the traverse of the ring-rail, the stud or pin 15, by means of which the lifting-rod and ringrail are actuated, has-on" the threaded end thereof, on the side of the arm 16 which is opposite to that on which the roller 151. is mounted, a nut 32 and washer 33 whereby it is secured in the desired position of adjustment transversely of the arm 16 in the slot 17, which also is curved or arc-shaped and concentric with the axis of the cross-shaft, all as is shown clearly in Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 8. The two studs or pins 15 and 26, it will be seen, are independently adjustable in the slots 17 and 29, thereby enabling the'traverse of the ring-rail to be adjusted or shiftedvertically as required without such adjustment affooting the traverse of-the separators, or necessarily requiring a compensating adjustment of the devices for moving the separators up and down, and also enabling the traverse of the separators to be independently adj usted or shifted at any time relatively to the traverse of the ring-rail.

From the fact that the slots 17 and 29 are arc-shaped and concentric with the axis of the cross-shaft 18 it results that the relative movements of the lifting-rod and separatorrod will not vary from the intended relative movement,however the studs may be adjusted within the two slots. It is preferred that both of the said slots be concentric, in order that this may be the case, inasmuch as if they vwere straight slots at right angles to the length of the cross-shaft arm, or if one of them were straight and the other concentric, the ratio of the movement of the separator-rod to that of the lifting-rod would vary from the desired ratio according as the studs were adjusted to different positions in the slots.

It is found in practice that, when the guides through which the separator-rod slides vertically have been too loosely fitted to the said rod in the first instance, and also when the said guides have become too large through the wear incident to use, the cotton flyings which collect upon the oily surface of the rod pass in between the rod and the said guides, thereby clogging the opening between them, and this clogging, if not relieved by the attendant, goes on increasing until the resistance due to it becomes so great as to overcome the tendency of the parts to fall of their own weight after having been raised. Heretofore it has been customary to nearly counterbalance the weight of these parts and to depend upon the unbalanced portion of such weight to carry them down after being lifted,

and it has resulted in practice that the parts would not descend as intended when the guides became clogged, but would remain for some time suspended, and then, perhaps as the result of a jar, go down suddenly with a jerk. If, at such time, through the too great flexibility of the separator-rail, some of the separators should strike against the ring-rail the regularity of the winding-on of the yarn would be disturbed. As a complete safeguard against the objectionable results of such cloggingthemovements of the separator-rod may be made positive'in bothdirections so that if,

ortranslate vertically the traverse of the sepa-v Figs. 1,- 2, 3, 4, 7 and '7 show an im-- rators. proved means of communicating movement from the arm 16.to the separator=rod positively in both directions without interfering at all with the capacity for efiecting a vertical shift or translation of the traverse of the separators. In these figures the foot orshoe 25 is formed with a horizontal slot 34 into which projects the free end of the stud or pin 26 andits roller 27. t This couples or connects together the arm 16 and the separator-rod 22 ina manner to cause movement to be transmitted fromthe former to the latter positively in both directions, while it leaves the stud or pin 26 free to be adjusted as maybe required in the slot 29. The foot or shoe 14 carried by the lifting-rod 13, if desired, also may be formed with a slot, 35, as indicated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, for the reception of the free end of the stud 15 or the roller 151 mounted thereon. If it is not sought to cause the separators to move downward positively, then the separator-rod 22 may be fitted with a foot or shoe having simply a plain under surface to rest upon the stud or pin 26 or its roller 27, as shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. In Figs. Sand 9 the lifting-rod 13, also, is shown fitted with a similar shoe or foot.

The means of supporting the separator-rail upon the separator-rod is shown in Figs. 11

and 12. In these figures the socket 361 af-' fixed to the upper end of the separator-rod has an open bearing 451 for the reception of the journal of the separator-rail, and a rest 461 receiving the impact of astop 462 carried by one of the separators, or otherwise mounted to move in unison with the separators and separator-rail, the said rest 461 serving to arrest the rotation of the separator-rail, and the separators carried thereby, when the separators have been lowered into their working position between'the spindles, and also serving as a fulcrum against which the stop462takesabearing to enable the gravity of the parts in front of the stop to impel the rail-journal to its seatand hold it there; and the construction ofthe parts is such as to enable the separator-rail and separators to be removed directly from the bearing-supportsand from the machine,-. at any time, before the separators havebeen turned out of their operative position, without its being necessary toprovide for. the dis-, engagement of the rail froin'its bearings byfirst turning the separators into their raised or idle position. The walls 452 and 453 in front and in rear of the bearing 451 are both vertical, being of sufficient height to insure the retention of the separator-rail, the rest 461 being on the rear side of the rear wall 453, and the arrangement of the rest 461 and step 462 issuch as to permit the front wall 452 to be made very low. In fact such front wall is necessary only for the purpose of holding the separator-rail from dropping forward out of the open hearing when the separators have been raised and the pressure of stop 462 against the rest 461 has been lessened or relieved. The part of rest 461 with which the stop .462 contacts, and against which the said stop bears when the separators are in their lowered position is parallel with the walls of the bearing, and there is no obstruction to prevent the separator-rail from being lifted directly from its support before the separators have been turned from their operative position. When the stop 462 is formed on a separator, it is formed on that separator which is, next adjacent to the socket 361. The said stop 462 projects to the rear of the rest 461. When the separators are turned into their, lowered and operative or working position,, the stop 462 strikes against the rest 461 as soon as that position has been reached. The, stop 462 then acts as a pivot, and the weighti of the parts to the front thereof bears thel separator-rail down into its seat in the bear-i ing 451. WVhen the separators are thrownl from between the spindles into their raisedi or idle position they may, if desired, rest; against the roller-beam 1, as indicated in 11. Or, the stop 462. may be allowed to strike; againstithe lower portion of the socket 361, and thus arrest the movement of the sepa-P rators when they have reached their idle pol sition, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11. As l will be observed, the acting surface or por-, tion of the rest 461 is formedas a narrow; projecting-part of the socket, it being locatedl at mid width of the socket and of semi-cylin-l drical outline where the stop 462 touchesitd. WVhen the separators are in their usual op-j erative position the stop 462 presses against the narrow projection, while at the same time the separator-rail presses against the interior of the bearing of the separator-rail support. From this it results that if the separator-rail socket should, from any accidental cause, become slightly turned on its axis, the pressure of the'stop 462 upon the narrow projection, and the pressure of the separator-rail against the interior of the hearing, will restore the socket-bearing to paral-. lelism with the separator-rail. Preferably, the face of the stop 462 which bears against the rest is made of a cylindrical curve, such curve forming part of a cylinder of small diameter parallel to the axis of the separatorrail.

The mode in which the socket 36 and foot or shoe 25 are represented as being connected.

with the opposite ends of the separator-rod in Figs. 13 to 22 secures the said parts immovably and reliably to the said rod. In Figs. 13, 14, 15, and 22, 47 is a casting resembling in shape the frustum of a cone. The diameter of its large end is small enough to permit it to he slipped through the smallest part of the hole formed in the socket 36 or foot or shoe 25 for the reception of the end of the separator-rod 22. The diameter of its small end is small enough to enable such end to enter the approaching end of the tubular rod 22 without difliculty, after the piece 47 has been introduced, large end first, into the hole in the socket or foot or shoe, and while the end of rod 22 is being pushed into such hole. If the separator-rod 22 is made of sufficiently soft metal, as, for instance, the soft so-called steel which is used frequently by boiler makers, the rod 22 can be forced down upon the frustum and expanded thereby at the end until its exterior strikes against the interior of the enlarged part of the hole in the socket or foot or shoe, forcing theshell of the rodhard against the said interior and immovably retaining the end of the rod in the socket, or

'foot or shoe.

Figs. 13 and 15 show the socket applied and secured in the described manner to the upper end of the separator-rod, Fig. 14 thefoot or shoe similarly applied and secured,andFig. 22 shows a section on the line 22-22of Fig. 14.

The appearance of, the end of the separatorrod when expanded is represented separately in Fig. 21. The socket 36 and foot or shoe 25 with their contained conical expanders may be slipped upon the opposite ends of the separator-rod and secured in position on 1 their respective ends of the rod at one operation. The economy of time which is thus secured renders this a matter of some importance. It the metalof the separator-rod is too hard to expand readily under the conditions that have just been described, then the ends of the said rods may be split for a short distance: as shown at 48 in Figs. 16, 17, and 18.

Fig. 16 represents in elevation one end of the rod with the splits therein,Fig. 17 an end elevation thereof, and Fig. 18 the appearance of the split end after having been expanded. Or an ordinary tapering steam-pipe or gaspipe thread may be cut upon the ends of the separator-rod, which also will enable the said ends to be more easily expanded and jammed tightly against the interior of the socket, or foot or shoe, for the shape of the tapering threads is such that the outer part of the V of the threads will flatten against the interior of the socket, or foot or shoe, and cause the latter to be fastened iinmovably to the separator-rod by the exercise of lessforce. The

appearance of the threaded end of the rod after having been expanded against the interior of the socket, or foot or shoe, is repre sented in Fig. 20.

I do not claim broadly herein the combination with the separator-rail, and a stop moving in unison therewith of a support provided with an open bearing for the rail-journal, and also with a rest without obstruction to interfere with'the stop while the rail, is being re moved, for this is not of my invention. Nor do I claim broadly the like combination embracing a narrow rest, oraseparator provided with a stop, for I have laidiclaim to combinations like unto the above and embracing these features in my application for Letters Patent filed February 10, 1893, Serial No. 461,731.

. I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the ring-rail, the lifting-rod, the arm 16, means, for operating the lifting-rod from the said arm 16, the separators, the separatonrail, and the separatorrod, of an actuating stud or pin applied to the said arm at a point intermediate the axis on which the arm turns and the point at which power, is transmitted from the .armto the lifting-rod, and adjustable transversely of the arm, means whereby the stud or pin is held in adjusted position on the arm, and operative connections through which the said stud or pin transmits movement to the separator-rod and parts carried thereby,- substantially as described.

2. The combination with the ring-rail, the lifting-rod, the, arm 16, means for operating the lifting-rod from the said arm 16, the separators, the separator-rail, and the separatorrod having a foot or shoe. at the lower end thereof, of a stud or pin applied to the arm at a point intermediate the axis on which the same turns and the point at which power is transmitted to thelifting-rod, and adjustable transversely of said arm, and means whereby the said stud or pin is held in adjusted position on the arm, substantially as described.

3. The combination with thering-rail, the lifting-rod, the arm 16, means forioperating the lifting-rod from thesaid arm 16, the separaters, the separator-rail, and the separatorrod having the slotted foot or shoe at the lower end thereof, of thestud. or pin applied to the arm 16 at a point intermediate the axis onwhich the same turns and the point at which power is transmitted to the lifting-rod, adjustable transversely'of the said arm, and projecting into the slot in the foot or shoe of the separator-rod, and. means whereby the saidstud or pin is held in adjusted position on the arm, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with the ring-rail, the lifting-rod, its foot or shoe, the separators, the separator-rail,'the separator-rod audits foot or shoe, of the arm 16 having the slots 17 and 29 formed therein transversely at difierent distances from the axis on which it turns, the pins or studs 15 and 26mounted in said slots, and means for independently securing each stud or pin in the-desired position ofsadjustment in its appropriate slot, substantially as described. 7 r

5.-T he combination with a separator-rail, and the separator provided with a stop, of the support constructed to permit the separatorrailto be unobstructedly removeditherefrom before the separators have been turned out of their operative position, it having the open bearing from which. the ,rail-journal'may. be

removed directly, and also the narrow pro- 

